


bold purple, more blossoming to come

by Visardist



Category: Little Women Series - Louisa May Alcott
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 18:29:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20511530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Visardist/pseuds/Visardist
Summary: The town isn't really a town, nor is it actually Dansville, but it might as well be.





	bold purple, more blossoming to come

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saiditallbefore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiditallbefore/gifts).

> Title adapted from Late Summer Purple by Robert Pack.

They're always awfully lonely when Dan's gone again. It isn't anything like sadness or quiet -- it's just how much out of their ordinary he is, the kind of colour he lends their sport. The stories hinted at in his infrequent letters never have enough detail. They take turns reading them to each other, Teddy puffing out his chest and trying to imitate Dan's tough deep voice, Josie half a head shorter but better at Dan's swaggering walk. Aunt Jo has started dramatising a tale or two, letting them work out all the ways they miss their favourite ruffian without longing for him too loudly. 

Dansville is just another dream, a maybe-if, pie in the sky. They just know he's far away, chasing danger as always. He's brought up in conversation, speculation and suggestions abounding on what he might be doing now, what scrape he's getting into or out of. As everyone becomes absorbed in more immediate matters, such sessions come more and more seldom, spiked only into brief popularity again by the appearance of another communication. 

Josie and Teddy scrap for the honour of reading Dan's latest letter. It's longer than usual, his untidy hand scrawled larger in haste to get his news down, but even large As and over-looped Gs don't account for the bunches of paper. Eventually Nan steps around them and picks up the envelope and begins to declaim while they're still pulling hair and crushing hats. 

_Dear all, hope Plumfield's as quiet as it ever was._ At this outrageous theft of their own prize, both youths sit up in equal parts surprise and dismay. They won't argue, not right then, or they'll be sure to miss a word. _Been a hash of this and that for me but if one or two are getting sick of the peace out east, I could _

Nan doesn't actually complete this sentence. Reading a little ahead of what's coming out of her mouth, she stops completely, and Josie, seeing her chance, seizes the page to play Dan-in-Plumfield. Instead of picking up where Nan left off, though, she lets out a shriek the volume of which is testament to her hard work practicing her voice. Between both reactions, Teddy's bracing himself for terrible news as he tries to snatch it out of Josie's hand.

The scene the Bhaers come upon as they enter the room to investigate the noise is this: Nan jumping up and down in some kind of fit with a thick envelope crushed in one hand, Josie dancing away with a page full of writing as Teddy chases her, demanding to know what's got the both of them so flustered. "What's he done, broken a leg, rescued a train, married someone? Tell me or give it me but don't-"

"He's got a town!" Josie cries as she darts around her aunt and uncle. 

"I'm going to join him!" Nan blurts in the same moment. 

The uproar lasts almost until dinner before everyone's calmed enough to hear the letter read properly. 

The town isn't really a town, nor is it actually Dansville, but it might as well be. 

_It's called False Hollow_, Teddy reads in his cracking attempt at a baritone. _Was coming through helping the Felperins with a new lot of beeves, and we stopped for the night. Problem was, it's still pretty new and there aren't much folk about, so the ones here right now were half antsy about strangers passing through and half wanting the right strangers to stay and make a full hand. They weren't sure which we were, so we got an eye and a half buying provisions. Felperin Senior decided we wouldn't risk their hospitality, which got more than a grumble from the fellows wanting a bed, but me and Junior agreed that if we did we'd be sleeping head to foot anyway, that's how few beds there are in this place, and one more night camping never hurt a man Jack of us._

The next part of the letter needs more than just Teddy to illustrate, and so the group squeezed into the parlor are treated to the sight of gallivanting children for the cattle and Teddy and Josie for the Felperins. Aunt Jo narrates, and a particularly boisterous student wins the honour of playing Dan as Nan and Demi pretend to come robbing in the dead of night and accidentally waking the cattle into stampeding. Dan-in-Plumfield jumps up from where he lies on the carpet, quickly seizing a chair for a horse and bellowing for the others to wake and get the cattle away from the motley collection of houses. Dan's letter simply tells it as _a lot of fuss on a dark night with only a couple broken bones and bullet holes_ but they're excited enough by the whole tale to spin it into something far more heroic. It probably isn't that far off from the truth, either.

_Being laid up with a hole in my shoulder isn't fun, and the cattle couldn't wait round for me, so Senior paid me what I was owed of the journey and the townsfolk have got a bed made up for me. They were talking of having someone be a lawman specially because it wasn't the first or even third time bandits have been about, so I offered to stay on once I was well as a way to pay them back. Had a bit of back and forth about who was paying back who since they refused me paying for the doctoring but for now it seems I'm staying on._

Thus comes the request. _Even if I were well it's a sorry place on account of not having enough people. They're good at helping themselves but it takes more than that to make a town. Some young bucks must be raring to roughen up their hands and see a little more of the world's wonders instead of reading books or my letters. Anyone you could send our way would be a great help even just for a season, only they've got to be ready to do their share. Even the delicate folks can come sew or care for the kids and free up the women for other tasks._

_If Mrs Giddygaddy could look out for a proper doctor wanting to come out west that would be best. Come yourself if you like but I shouldn't like to take you away from your corpse-carving before you've learned all there is. Bring things that'll be useful. Books too, nothing too tough to crack skulls on but the folk like to be read to while they're all sat together fixing bits and bobs. _ Mr Bhaer is already planning a list to help set up False Hollow's library.

When the dust has settled on everyone having had their simultaneous, cacophonous opinion on Dan's letter, Mr Bhaer tells them that they will have to wait on whether they can go. "Summer comes soon, so I shall worry not of your education. But Dan wants hard workers -- it will be a burden on the people of False Hollow for you to laze about while there. Think on what you can assist with, and come to me if you are sure. We cannot be certain that all who wish it can be sent."

For the next week it's all anyone can talk about. Nan sends a letter earnestly asserting that _I'll dig you up a doctor and come train up his or her assistant. A summer teaching someone to do more than the usual stitching and bonesetting is just the thing! Your wound will do right for us to judge how well doctoring goes among them. You've still got two legs and a good arm, so don't go breaking them before we get out there._

_It was kind of you to mention that even I could help pitch in_, Bess writes. _You've talked so much of the scenery and the wildlife out west, I should love to come. Of course I'll do my part, Mother always does like me to know my way around at least the household even if the servants do most of it, but she worries that the sun and dry air could be too much for me. But even if it's too much for me I can stay indoors and schoolmarm the children for a bit and see that they'll be caught up by the time you set up a school. Warn them that I'll want sittings! When everyone works so hard someone has to set them down for posterity. _

Josie and Teddy don't remember to write letters, they spend so much time talking about what they're going to do. One of the students, a little older than them, says scornfully that they're none of them about to be shipped off, they're all too young, and furthermore with Teddy's last escapade it's even more unlikely that he'll be allowed to go this time. The ensuing argument turns into an unfortunate brawl, and the capper on this is that his prophecy comes true and they are explicitly disallowed from going.

There is much planning, and more squabbling, and everyone has their own dreams of Dansville and their brigand hero.

**Author's Note:**

> If this were longer there would be ships. Alas, that's the beauty and tragedy of a flash exchange.


End file.
